The Hunger for Colour fundraiser saw Kiwis swapping over 24,000 cans of food for Resene paint testpots at 65 Resene ColourShops around the country. The cans were then donated to local Salvation Army food banks.

I met the Lord in the dock

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George Perry Makoare Jolley was a feared gang leader, until he met the Lord in a courtroom.

I came to know the Lord as my Saviour while I was waiting to face the judge, in the dock of a courthouse. I had been in the court untold times, and it was just normal to me.

But this time, a Salvation Army court liaison officer, Captain Lindsay Andrews, came up to me and said, ‘Are you okay? Would you like me to pray for you?’ I had never had anyone do that for me before, so I said, ‘Go ahead.’

When I went before the judge, I felt so confused. I was being charged with assault, and usually I would wave it off and just go back to my life. But this time I felt so guilty, I felt bad for the people I had hurt. The judge actually thought I was intoxicated. But I wasn’t, something had changed.

I grew up in a large, loving Catholic family, but my neighbourhood was the actual area where Once Were Warriors was set. Every day, I walked out of my loving house and into gangs, drugs and violence. I wanted to be tough like everyone else. When I was about 13, I joined a gang, and went through initiations.

My life became incredibly violent as I moved further and further up the gang. I have spent years in jail for disorderly conduct, gang fights, assaults, and drug dealing. I became president of a chapter, and then started three chapters myself. I’ve seen a lot of nasty things happen and people have been hurt. That was my life.

I had been in the gang for over 25 years, and was known throughout New Zealand, but my life was hitting rock bottom. I was severely depressed and living on the streets.

That’s when I met Lindsay in court and he prayed for me. He came for a home visit, we had a cup of tea and he prayed for me again. My heart went from rock to jelly.

I asked Lindsay if I could come to church. I expected the whole place to fall down, but I got an awesome welcome. People encouraged me and shook my hand. Every dark aspect of my life started to change: drugs, alcohol and cigarettes fell away. The Lord had touched me and I felt that I was not suited to that life anymore.

I told the gang that I had asked the Lord for forgiveness and invited him to be part of my life. I said that I couldn’t be in the gang anymore—my heart was not in it. So I left the gang I had led, but not before I implemented saying grace at meals, and prayers before our meetings.

Now, I talk to people at bus stops and tell them about the Lord. Some people look at me strangely, but some say, ‘Jesus is Lord’—and that is like treasure to me. I have 12 children around the country, and two of my sons are still patched members of the gang. But three of my children are Christians, and they were amazed when I rang them up and said, ‘Jesus loves you’.

My dream is to go into the dark places that only The Salvation Army will go, and show those people the light. I want them to know that yes, God does want to know them, and no one is beyond saving. I still can’t understand how God loves me, but I know that he does.

By George Perry Makoare Jolley (abridged from War Cry, 13 July 2013, p9)